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Filmation/Summary
Background: Filmation Associates started out in commercials in 1962; however, this was fully established as a production company one year later not only to produce animated shows, but also some live-action shows. In 1969, TelePrompTer Corporation acquired Filmation, who had later merged with Westinghouse Broadcasting Company in 1981. Filmation was sold to the L'Oréal Group in 1988, closing its doors indefinitely one year later. The bulk of the company's back catalog is currently owned by NBCUniversal on behalf of DreamWorks Animation, with the following exceptions: The Brady Kids, Star Trek: The Animated Series, and The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse and Heckle & Jeckle (currently owned by CBS Television Studios), Journey to the Center of the Earth and Fantastic Voyage (owned by 20th Century Fox), and The Tom & Jerry Comedy Show and the DC Comics properties (owned by Warner Bros. Entertainment, the former title via Turner Entertainment Co.). 1st Logo (September 10, 1966-1967) Nicknames: "The Happy O-Face", ">:)" Logo: On a black background, we see the white words "FILMATION" with the words "ASSOCIATES" below and a rectangle underneath to fit the length of the words "FILM". The words "ATI" and "N" were in outlines. The letter "O" is however, is instead replaced with a circle with a smiling face and two V-shaped arrows is displayed above and below (albeit upside down and larger) the smiling face (the same ones you can see on the Sib Tower 12 Productions logo). Below it is the words "PRESENTS" in a blue cartoony font. Variant: On The New Adventures of Superman, the logo appears as an in-credit logo without "PRESENTS" and featured on top and bottom was "at" and "in Hollywood" and below is the copyright disclaimer. Depending on the print, it may be either yellow or in white. FX/SFX: None. Music/Sounds: Accompanied by the show's ending theme music. Availability: Ultra rare. The standard logo is seen on the unsold pilot of Dick Digit. It was more commonly shown on the first season of The New Adventures of Superman, and it was kept intact on the show's DVD release. Editor's Note: None. 2nd Logo (September 9, 1967-December 25, 1971) Nickname: "The Happy-O Face II", Logo: Superimposed onto the screen we see "FILMATION" in the same font and style as before, except the bottom V-shaped arrow is now gone and the words "ATI" and "N" is colored either light blue, white or translucent. The words "ASSOCIATES" is down below the logo in spaced out letters to fit the length of "FILMATION", and the rectangle is not shown underneath "ASSOCIATES" this time. The text above is "AT" appeared in yellow and below that is the words "IN HOLLYWOOD" in the same yellow color. A copyright notice is usually shown below the logo. Variants: *On Aquaman, Fantastic Voyage ''and the 1971 TV movie ''Aesop's Fables, the copyright stamp is not shown. *On Fantastic Voyage and The New Adventures of Batman, "PRODUCED" is shown above the words "AT" and "IN HOLLYWOOD" is spaced up below "ASSOCIATES". *On The New Adventures of Batman, the words "In association with the DUCOVNY Prod., Inc." is shown below the logo. *Starting with The Archie Show in 1968, the words "PRODUCED BY" appear above the logo instead of "AT", and "IN HOLLYWOOD" below "ASSOCIATES" is deleted. *From 1969 to 1971, the byline "A TELEPROMPTER COMPANY" is seen below the logo. * Starting with The Hardy Boys in 1969, the names of producers Lou Scheimer and Norm Prescott would rotate before this logo appears. The rotation was done so that neither name would be "on top" (i.e. equal billing). * An in-credit notice of Filmation (without either the TelePrompTer byline or "ASSOCIATES") can be seen in the 1971 TV movie Aesop's Fables. Plus the "ATI" and "N" were outlined, just like the 1st logo. FX/SFX: None. Music/Sounds: Accompanied by the show's ending theme music. Availability: More common than the previous one. Still seen on shows like Journey to the Center of the Earth, Fantastic Voyage, The Archies, the 1970 version of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, and The Groovie Goolies, whenever someone decides to show them, most recently on RTV. Also preserved on DVD releases of The Archies and The New Adventures of Superman. The logo made its debut on Journey to the Center of the Earth on ABC and The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure on CBS. Editor's Note: None. 3rd Logo (September 9, 1972-December 21, 1974, February 1982, September 18-December 11, 1982) Nickname: "The Happy-O Face III" Logo: Same as the 2nd logo, except the words "PRODUCED BY" is replaced by the word "A" and "ASSOCIATES" is replaced by the word "PRODUCTION", thus making the text read in shortened form: "A FILMATION PRODUCTION". Plus, the logo is shifted from the top to the center. The copyright information appears below the logo. Variants: *On Journey Back to Oz, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig Meets the Groovie Goolies, and season 1 of The Brady Kids, the TelePrompTer byline is shown below the logo. *Also on season 1 of The Brady Kids, the logo is on a black background. *On the opening of Oliver Twist, the text is in one line. *On feature films like Journey Back to Oz and Oliver Twist, as well as the 1982 game show pilot The Origins Game, the copyright stamp is absent. *On the 1982 game show pilot The Origins Game, the text was read as "A FILMATION STUDIOS and SFM entertainment CO-PRODUCTION" with "FILMATION" and "SFM entertainment" in its usual print logos rather than text, respectively. *On The U.S. of Archie and Gilligan's Planet, "ATI" and "N" were in outlines. FX/SFX: None. Music/Sounds: Accompanied by the show's ending theme music. Availability: Still seen on shows like Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids on Bounce TV, The Brady Kids, My Favorite Martians, The Archies and the first season of Shazam!, whenever someone decides to show them. This can be seen on Fat Albert and The Archie Show DVDs, as well as Star Trek: The Animated Series on DVD and Netflix. Recently seen on The U.S. of Archie on RTV. Although it was initially retired after the 1974-75 season, it would make a comeback on the 1982 game show pilot The Origins Game and the short-lived 1982 series Gilligan's Planet. Editor's Note: None. 4th Logo (September 6, 1975-December 13, 1980) Nicknames: "The Happy-O Face IV", "The Happy-O Face Combining" Logo: Against a black background, four sets of the word "FILMATION" in the same font as the first three logos emerge from all four sides of the screen to combine into one single "FILMATION" All the letters outside of the first four are outlined, and the happy-faced "O" and the arrow above from the first three logos appears, but this time the arrow is in outlines like the "ATION" part. "A" appears over the "FILMATION" name, and "PRODUCTION" appears under it. Variants: * The normal logo animation is sometimes superimposed over the end-credit sequence of the show. * From 1975 to 1976, a copyright stamp is shown below the logo. * A still in-credit variant can be seen in the 1982 game show pilot The Origins Game. * On Flash Gordon, the text reads "A FILMATION STUDIOS AND King Features Syndicate PRODUCTION" with "FILMATION" in a typical font and "King Features Syndicate" in a Futura font and below it is a copyright stamp. FX/SFX: The name merging from all directions. Music/Sounds: Accompanied by the show's ending theme music. Availability: Still seen on shows like Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids on Bounce TV as well as Space Sentinels ''and the first season of the 1980 animated revival of ''The Lone Ranger. Retained on DVD releases of the company's live-action output from the era (Isis, (the original) Ghost Busters, Space Academy, Jason of Star Command ''and ''Shazam!). Editor's Note: None. 5th Logo (September 16, 1980-November 16, 1981) Nicknames: "The Happy O-Face V", "The Happy O-Face in Space" Logo: On a space background, we see the red text "AFU" with white outlines. Above "AFU" is "AN" and below it is "PRODUCTION". A white flash covers the screen, and we see the Filmation logo like in the previous logos, only "FILM", the happy-faced "O" and the arrow is in white, and "ATI" and "N" were in red with white outlines. Above the Filmation logo is "A" and below it is "FILM". FX/SFX: The flashing transition from the AFU to the Filmation logo. Music/Sounds: The end theme of the show. Availability: Rare, as it was seen only on the European-American co-production Sport Billy and it should never be reran again. Editor's Note: None. 6th Logo (September 12, 1981-December 10, 1982) Nicknames: "The Happy-O Face VI", "Filmation Sunburst" Logo: On a red shining sunburst background, we see the words "FILMATION" in the same font and style as the previous logos, but this time the word "FILM" is in outlined like the "ATION" part from the 4th logo, zoomed out quickly complete with the happy-faced "O" and the arrow above the "O" from the previous logos. "A" and "PRODUCTION" appeared above and below the logo. FX/SFX: The zoom out of the logo. Music/Sounds: Accompanied by the show's ending theme music. Availability: Seen on Filmation's cartoons from the era, like like the second season of the 1980 animated revival of The Lone Ranger, The New Adventures of Zorro, Blackstar and Shazam! as well as the 1982 movie Mighty Mouse in The Great Space Chase. Editor's Note: None. 7th Logo (1981?-1983?) Logo: On a light purple background, we see the word "FILMATION" in the Group W Anklepants font. The word "FILM" is fully white, and the rest of the letters are in outline. Below the logo is a small byline that reads "A DIVISION OF GROUP W PRODUCTIONS/WESTINGHOUSE BROADCASTING AND CABLE INC." Below the byline is an address and phone number, with the British phone number as well. Variant: A superimposed version exists. Trivia: This was used during the time Westinghouse owned Filmation Associates. FX/SFX: None. Music/Sounds: None. Availability: Pretty much extinct. The only known source is at the end of a promo for Blackstar, which was found on a UK Popeye video by Select Video/Video Gems UK. This was also spotted on a later print of the 1972 TV movie Daffy Duck and Porky Pig Meet the Groovie Goolies. Editor's Note: None. 8th Logo (September 3, 1983-February 24, 1988, May 28, 1993) Nicknames: "Flashing Letters", "Rainbow Letters" Logo: Against a black background, a white ball of light brings forth the letters in the word "FILMATION" (in Anklepants font, commonly used on most Group W programming). They are all in rainbow colors, and all the letters outside of the first four are in outline. In the opening, the word "PRESENTS" appears under the logo. At the end, "A" appears over it and "PRESENTATION" under. In 1986, the word "Presents" is written in paintbrush script, and the colors appear to be "duller" (though this could be due to film deterioration). The closing variant starting in 1986 doesn't have any text above and below the logo. FX/SFX: The name being spelled out. The music (see below) adds to the effect. Music/Sounds: Described as a "downward scale on a xylophone" that gives a tumbling effect to the spelling of the name. Ends with a ding for the extra words. Sometimes uses the closing theme of the show. On He-Man: The Greatest Adventure of All, a futuristic synth theme is heard. Music/Sounds Variants: The script version uses a "dreamier" rendition of the music. On The Adventures of Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, the first few beats of the theme song play after the logo animation finishes. After the logo fades out and the opening sequence actually starts up, those first six beats replay as the theme song starts up correctly. Availability: Still seen on shows like The Adventures of Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids on Teletoon Retro in Canada and Bounce TV, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, She-Ra: Princess of Power, and Ghostbusters on Qubo and RTV. Retained on the Bravestarr, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, She-Ra, Princess of Power, and The Adventures of Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids DVD sets.It's also intact on the UK Right Entertainment DVD of Pinnochio and the Emperor of the Night and the 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment DVD of Happily Ever After. Editor's Note: None.